Liner packing



Oct. 28, A1941. M. M. CUNNINGHAM E-r AL 2,260,440

LINER PACKING Filed March 7, 1959 2 i @il NNN Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATESPATENT ortical LINER PACKING Marcus M. Cunningham and Lawrence D. Barner,

Houston, Tex., assignors to Barcunshell Corporation, a corporation of Texas Application March 7, 1939, serial No. 260,262

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cylinders and liners therefor and more particularly to means for effecting and maintaining a fluid tight seal between the liner and surrounding cylinder.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an eicient seal between a cylinder and a removable liner placed therein.

A further object is to provide a cylinder-to-liner seal by providing an expansible element between the cylinder and liner.

Another object is to provide a cylinder and liner with interior annular chamber to receive an expansible packer element to which connection is made with the exterior of the cylinder so that expansive pressure may be applied and maintained.

Still another object is to provide a construction which is especially suitable for mud pumps such as are used for oil field drilling by the rotary method and which includes means for indicating at all'times the sealing pressure that is applied between the liner and the cylinder of the pump.

Still another object is to provide the combination of a counterbored cylinder and a flanged liner to provide an annular space therebetween, an expansible sealing element being expanded within such chamber thru pressure applying means which is located exteriorly of the cylinder.

With the foregoing as primary objects other and further objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection withy the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a mud pump partly in cross section illustrating an embodiment of the invention as utilized in a pump of this type.

Figs. 2 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating the utilization of modiiied forms of anism for maintaining a constant expansive force.

upon such element.

The invention as illustrated in Fig. 1 is incorporated in a mud Vpump comprising a cylinder I provided with a replaceable liner secured in place therein by means of clamping mechanism generally indicated as 3. Within the liner 2 there is provided a suitable piston 4 which is reciprocated therein by means of the piston rod 5 which extends outwardly thru the packing gland 6 at the end of the cylinder. Reciprocation of the piston 4 is instrumental in cooperation with intake valves (not shown) in forcing fluid thru eX- haust valves I0 within exhaust v alve housings I I whence such fluid is discharged thru a manifold I2 to the point Where the ow of/thepumped fluid is desired.

The cylinder l is provided with spaced inwardly extending annular anges I5 and IB which slidingly receive the liner 2. It is impossible to obtain suiiiciently intimate contact between the liner 2 and these annular flanges to effect the necessary seal between the cylinder and liner. j It is therefore necessary to provide aconstruction that will prevent the passage of fluid between the liner and cylinder. Such construction is animportant feature of the present invention andwcomprises the provision of acounterbore 20. The liner 2 is provided with an annular flange 2| which is adapted to enter this counterbore whereby there is formed an annular chamber between the cylinder and the liner. L

In spaced relationwith the flange 2I the periphery of the liner 2 isthreaded at 23 to receive a ring 24 to forma second annular ange and provide the annular chamber to receive a hollow expansible packing element 25. This element as shown in Fig. 1 has an annular internal chamber 26 and is provided with a thickened end wall 21 thru which a conduit or tube 28 passes.v This conduit sealably passes thru the wall of the packing 'element 25 so that a pressure applied to the interior of ythe conduit will tend to expand the packing element. 1 i

When the' element 25 is positioned upon the liner 2 the conduit 28 is passed thru an opening 29 in the iiange 2| and extends outwardly therefrom. The ring 24 is then positioned upon the liner preliminary to the insertion of the liner assembly Within the cylinder.

After the liner assembly has been placed within,

the cylinder I the conduit 28 is passed outwardly thru the drain opening 30 in the cylinder. The usual drain plug is replaced bya plug 3| having a packing gland 32 so as to form a seal about the conduit 28.

Mounted at any suitable point upon the pump or elsewhere upon an instrumentpanel is a pressure applying and indicating mechanism generally indicated at 35. This mechanism comprises a chamber 36 which is adapted to serve as a reservoir for liquid which is applied thru the conduit 28 to the interior of the packing element 25. Above the liquid within the chamber 36 is an' air chamber 31 whereby resilient pressure is applied to the liquid therein. A pressure gauge 38 indicates at all times the amount of pressure that is applied to expand the packing ring 25. yIf it is desired at any time to increase the pressure within the chamber 3'! or to add liquid to the chamber, suitable pump means may be attached to the valve cap 39 for such purpose.

It is believed apparent that with a construction just described it is'possible to maintain a desired sealing pressure within the packing element and that any departure from such pressure will be immediately detected by a change in reading in the pressure indicating instrument 38. This featureis of importance Vas destructive effects by leakage will very quickly require a replacement of the liner 2, if not of the entire pump cylinder and liner.

The mechanism 35 as shown in the drawing is also provided with a conduit 28""which'leads' ably secured in place by means of a gland memto the other cylinder of the. pair of cylinders] comprising a pump of the type described. By v means of this construction a dropfin-pressure is indicated by both of the gauges38 and38 and will indicate that one or the other of the 'cylindersv offtherpurnpr is leaking.l By manipulation of the valve in'the conduits, it is possible to immediately localize the cylinder which is leaking, whereuponthepump unit may be shut down and repair thereof quickly made.

In Fig...2l.there is shown an alternative construction wherein the expansible packing element is provided withan outwardly extending openingrv -40 .which Vis placed in mating relation with opening 4I lin` the cylinder I. Inthis embodiment the-conduit v28 is connected to theopenin 4|'.by means of packing gland 42.k

Y It willbenoted that in accordance with this embodiment the packing element 25 is provided withjlips '43 adjacent the openingv 40 so that `internallp'ressure within theannular chamber 44 will cause' effective sealing with the adjacent surface of thecylinder 2. In the, embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 the packing element- 25 is `provided with an inner annularopening between flexible annular lips 5l.. Q,In this embodiment the conduit 28 terminates in the areabetween the lips 5l whereby internal pressure may beappliedto the .interior of the 'packing element. In thispembodiment there is also vshown a modified form of mechanisrnfor applying pressure thru the conduit 28 to thepa'cking element.l This mechanism comprises a Acylinder 52 provided with a pistony 53 which is urged resiliently downwardly within the cylinder means of ay compression spring 54. A second pistonA 55 is connected to a threaded stem155 passing. thru the cap 51 in the cylinder. Bymeans of this lconstruction any suitable force may be exerted upon the piston `53 to produce an expansive force within* the packing element.25. I'his `force will be indicated by the pressure responsive instrument `6|] connected in the con- Clufvw-A Y,

Fig. 4 is illustrative ofa construction in which the flange 24' is made integral with the liner 2. When' such construction is used Athe packing element 125 is flexed sufliciently to pass over one of the flanges'Zl or 24 to the annular space therebetween. j l

The embodiment vof Fig. 4 is of such construction that the packing element 25 may be relatively 'thin'in a) radial direction. In this co'nstruction a hollow projection is provided similar to :the thickened portion 21 as seen in Fig. 1. The periphery of this projection fits closely within `a ponica-lrdepression in the adjacent wall and provides a seal therewith. The opening through this projection jextends inwardly at 66 into the element 25. c

In manufacturing this packing element a rodlikev member -is= placed in the mold to form the opening $5. An annular clearage line is also formedby inserting ,agstrip of material 61 which extendsnnularly from opposite sides of the rodber 69 and packing 10.

`While the foregoing description has been directed to vthe'utilizatilon of the invention in connection' with the mud pump, it is to be understood that the invention is not conlined thereto but may be used in any construction wherein a a second lange 0n'said liner in spaced relation with the first mentioned flange and adapted' to enter the counterbore whereby an annular chamberl is formed intermediate the flanges, Va hollow packing element in said chamber, and means exfv tending to the exterior of the cylinder for applying a uid pressure'to the interior of the .packing element to effect a seal between the rcylinder and liner. 1

25A pump construction comprising a cylinder having a counterbore, a liner for said cylinder', a ange 'on said liner adapted to enter thehcounterbore, a second flange on said liner in spaced relation with theA first mentionedv flange and adapt.-

' ed to enter the counterbore whereby an annularV of thecounterbore, an expansible packing ring within the chamber, a conduit extending from the packing element tothe exterior of the pump cylinder, and means connectedto said conduit for continuously applying fluid pressure to the packing ring to effect a seal between the cylinder and liner.

3. The combination with a pump cylinder and liner having an annular chamber therebetween, ofl a packing ring within said chamber, said ring comprising a unitary body member having flexible annular flanges extending inwardly from the edges of the body and adapted to bear upon one of the cylindrical surfaces within said chamber, apassageway leading from the surface between said flanges to the exterior of the pump cylinder, and-means for applying a pressure fluid to ythe interior of the packing ring through said passageway. Y

4. The combination with a pump cylinder and liner having an annular chamber therebetween, ofl an' expansible packing ring within the chamber, a fluid passage from theinterior of the ring to` the exterior ofthe cylinder, a chamber connected to'said passage, a piston within said chamber and means for resiliently urging said piston longitudinally ofthe chamber to maintain pressure upon fluid within the chamber and packing rmg l MARCUS M. CUNNINGHAM.- LAWRENCE `DABARNER. l 

